Hail, Caesar! is a lot of fun, and beautifully crafted, too. One to savour.
Hail, Caesar! isn’t the most profound film the brothers have ever made but it is certainly one of the most pleasurable to watch.
“It’s a swell story, told with distinction and panache,” says Mannix of the Biblical epic he’s making. The same can be said of the Coens’ latest.
A semi-sequel to Barton Fink? A pseudo-remake of The Big Lebowski? A Dream Factory take on The Hudsucker Proxy? Hail, Caesar! is all of these, and more. If only the central story were more focused.
Any Coen brothers’ movie is an event, and there’s enough wit and whimsy on show to satisfy most cineastes. Audiences who are not in on the joke, however, may find this kind of knowing self-indulgence to be nothing more than a dazzling waste of the considerable talents involved.
The Coen brothers put their signature quirky deadpan to good use in this gloriously watchable period caper about the golden era of Hollywood.
Inevitably Hail, Caesar! does feel a little disjointed at times as if all the bright ideas and outstanding moments haven’t quite gelled into an irresistible whole but there is still comic gold and rueful nostalgia in this hoorah for Hollywood.
A second visit is a must, to solve the riddle at the film’s core and for purposes of pure pleasure.
The Coen brothers conjure up nostalgic joy from this hilarious knockabout homage to the golden age of film.
Tilda Swinton
Channing Tatum
Josh Brolin
Alden Ehrenreich
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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